My husband wants a Bengal kitten. The person he is talking to says she is 9wks used to dogs and is an F4[?] not sure what that means. I read where Bengals can be difficult. I am home constantly. I have a male Chinese Crested Powderpuff 7yrs unaltered. He's been with me for 2yrs. He was rescued. I sometimes feel he misses animal companionship. There are no children in our home. Any advice is appreciated.

Welcome to our wonderful forum! My first question would be "have you previously owned a cat?" If so, you throw everything out the window because a bengal is not your typical cat. While they are gorgeous and wild looking, they come with challenges. Many times owners are not prepared and can't deal with them.

An F4 bengal means it is 4 generations removed from the Asian Leopard Cat (small wild cat in Asia) which started the bengal breed when bred with an Egyptian Mau or a domestic shorthaired kitty. While the F1's (the litter from an ALC and a regular kitty) through the F3's are considered "early generation" bengals, your F4's are considered domestic cats and are allowed in almost all the states in the US and almost all countries.

Bengals and dogs can get along, however, when getting a bengal kitten know they will have boundless energy (which will continue the rest of their lives). Your doggie is older and may not want to be the playmate to a territorial bengal. Your bengal will be very vocal! Not just communicating, but will howl up a storm for no apparent reason! Your bengal needs a lot of wand toys and play sessions, a tall cat tree, a couple of litter boxes, and should not be allowed to roam outdoors unless on a harness and leash. They can be trained to walk just like a dog.

There is plenty to read on this forum. "Behavior" is a great topic as you will encounter some of the situations bengal owners have incurred and you may gather information from the responses. I would never discourage someone from getting a bengal, but I do encourage you to find out ALL you can about the breed and be prepared for a LOT of patience. They can be the best pet in the world and they can be challenging at the same time. You need to go in this with an open mind and be prepared to spend time blending your family. We here LOVE our bengals and wouldn't trade them for the world (most of the time).

Welcome to the forum.

I just wanted to pick up on the 9 weeks old part of your post - if the breeder is offering to let you have the kitten at 9 weeks old walk away. No reputable breeder interested in the welfare of a bengal kitten would do that - they need to spend the first 13 weeks with their mum and a lot of learning about socialisation happens in those final weeks.

As Sherry says, bengals are wonderful in their own way, but they really are a handful - people are drawn to them because they look beautiful, but they require a lot of attention, especially in the first 18 months where they will turn your house upside down just for fun.

That you are constantly at home is good, for you and a potential bengal, hopefully some one who knows more about Chinese Crested Powderpuffs ( I *assume* they're a type of dog ? dragon ? ) will pop along and tell you if they are a suitable match for a high energy cat.

I have an 8 year old long coat chihuahua with my Bengals she was also raised with a Bengal though, she tends to just ignore them most of the time and steal their toys lol. It all depends on the dog as he's a powder puff I'm not as worried as at least he has fluff to avoid the claws unlike the hairless ones. Please bear in mind the kitten is very likely to end up at the least as big as your dog and they are extremely muscular even the females so they will be a lot stronger. Chinese crested tend to be quite delicate although maybe not quite as much as chi's are lol. What's your boys weight? I would recommend a female Bengal over a male as they tend to not be as heavy although they are just as full on and crazy.

I would recommend clipping the very end of your kittens claws when they play with your dog until they are used to keeping them in for play. Also only allow them together whilst monitored. The dog is always more of the worry than the cat as cats can easily get away and have claws, dogs tend to not read the cats body language well and go in to play and get swatted so just make sure if the kitten looks agitated separate them. Make the introduction very gradual and make sure they both have their own safe places to go to and hide if they want.

You will probably find your little boy will want to go sit somewhere and just observe the kitten for a while. My sisters Pomeranian puppy likes to play with the kittens when he comes over though or at least tries to, I've always had dogs with bengals and never had any issues at all they usually get on wonderfully once they learn each other's boundaries.

I would look for a slightly further back F number though maybe 5+ I know F4 is just an SBT but I do think for your first kitten it's best to avoid the lower numbers and also an older kitten as said above they should be homed at 13 weeks minimum.

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- Sarah
Arya 24/04/16 - Seal Lynx Point Rosetted Bengal
Griffith 16/04/16 - Silver Seal Lynx Point Rosetted Bengal
Mina (in my avatar)- 1999-2016 - Seal Mink Spotted Bengal (Snow) - run free at rainbow bridge